You have a problem at work. Your widgets aren't producing the way they should. This is a monumental problem, not a mere annoyance. It could cost you your business, your job or substantial income, at the very least.

What do you do? Refer to the widget manual? Hire a widget consultant? Acquire new widget producers, be they human or machine? Order a subordinate to come up with a solution; ASAP!

Any of the above might be the right answer. Or the wrong answer.

Almost certainly you will stress, fret and worry over this. After all, doing as much is only human nature; the problem is huge, so your stress must similarly be huge, right?

Not necessarily. In fact, worrying and stress are not only damaging to your body and your mind, they are also damaging to the optimal solution process.

This is not to say that you should not invest considerable thought, energy and time into the problem. It is to say that during the thought process, you would best serve yourself and the process if you balance your concern and problem solving efforts with a clear, confident, certain, relaxed and centered flow of energy, feeling and intention.

What do I mean by each of these words?

Clear. Keep your thoughts, emotions, intentions and actions simple, focused and in the moment. Do not give in to the inclination to rush ahead to the next sub-issue or to mix issues. Keep it simple in the moment and work on or consider one thing at a time.

Confident and Certain. Do not panic. Do not doubt. If you maintain a calm, certain confidence that the optimal solution exists and is imminently available to you, then you will unleash your creative potential or your availability to receive the best information from the universe of ideas, whether that idea comes to you through your own thoughts and feelings, through a team-member or through a third party source. Remain absolutely confident you are accessing the perfect solution and it will come to you.

Relaxed and centered. The meditative alpha or theta brain-wave states are ideal for problem solving. While in alpha or theta your conscious mind won't be actively engaged in the problem solving process as it is in the normal waking beta state. However in alpha or theta your subconscious, that part of your intelligence that is most available to brilliance in creative solutions, is most active and available to provide creative solutions to your conscious, which you can then apply to your problem.

Meditation is the best pathway to the alpha or theta states. Thomas Edison is well known for the device he used to obtain creative and optimal answers to burning questions he had. He would sit back in his chair, holding a ball-bearing in each hand, with his arms resting on the chair and tin pans on the floor under his hands. At the moment his body released control over his hands, as he was most likely in the theta state, the ball-bearings would fall to the pans, waking him up. He found this device useful in achieving access to the creative brilliance within his subconscious. A creative brilliance not easily available to your conscious mind.

Does this mean that the moment you encounter a problem all you have to do is meditate or go to sleep? Certainly not. Although doing this would be much healthier and more constructive than stressing excessively about your issue.

When you encounter a problem, go ahead and brainstorm, discuss with others, seek solutions in the waking, fitful material plain of existence. But once you have done all you can do, or even before you've done all you can do, let go of your problem and any concern surrounding it, including the need to find a solution. Let go and believe with absolute certainty and conviction that the solution is coming to you or perhaps already resides in your subconscious mind or environment and will become obvious at the perfect time for all involved.

Copyright Christopher Babson - All Rights Reserved

Through motivational speeches and coaching seminars Christopher Babson & Breakout Presentations speak about, inspire and coach proven tools for 1) personal & organizational peak performance, empowerment, results optimization and change and 2) dynamic business presentations and public speaking. His background includes an MBA from a Top-20 school, 12 years as a Fortune-100 corporate banker, 6 years as an entrepreneur and 7 years as a professional actor in NYC, LA & Paris.

http://www.BreakoutPresentations.com